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Guys,
We read all the time about keeping the sacrum either perpindicular or forward (bagua). But in “The Great Stillness” the section describing sitting meditation in a chair posture the instructions say to place a backward and upward direction of the low back in order to straighten the lumbar spine and that a downward/forward direction of the muscles in the lumbar region would be incorrect. So my question is… should the actual vertebre in the lower curve and sacrum be straight/perpindicular and/or forward, or is it the surface skin level of the area that is to be this way? Because it seems like tucking would be a downward/forward direction and an upward/backward movement of the muscles would cause the butt to stick out. Basically can you all describe how to get the lower spine in proper position?
Thanks,
Patrick
Hi paralece,
To answer your Q point blank – The vertebrae in the lower curve and sacrum should be straight/perpendicular. Look at figure 5 in “The Great Stillness” and let that be your guide.
It seems that your confussion comes from spine vs. muscle and how to move the body in space to get the proper alignment of the spine. If the muscles connecting to the lumbar spine contract in a forward and downward direction the vertebrae would move in the wrong direction causing the spine to close and the sacrum to point backwards.
As you sit on the chair, by moving the body backward the hip will roll just a little bit causing the sacrum to point downward and the lumbar spine to straighten. Lifting upward in the body will help the lumbar, and whole spine for that matter, to open and straighten.
I hope this helps you.
Steve
Hi paralece,
To answer your Q point blank – The vertebrae in the lower curve and sacrum should be straight/perpendicular. Look at figure 5 in “The Great Stillness” and let that be your guide.
It seems that your confussion comes from spine vs. muscle and how to move the body in space to get the proper alignment of the spine. If the muscles connecting to the lumbar spine contract in a forward and downward direction the vertebrae would move in the wrong direction causing the spine to close and the sacrum to point backwards.
As you sit on the chair, by moving the body backward the hip will roll just a little bit causing the sacrum to point downward and the lumbar spine to straighten. Lifting upward in the body will help the lumbar, and whole spine for that matter, to open and straighten.
I hope this helps you.
Steve
Thank you Steve, you are right. My confusion came from the fact that i was understanding the lower back muscles as the glutes and sacroiliac muscles (too low) instead of the actual lumbar region. So if i understand correctly (now) both the lower curve go back a bit at the same time that the thoracic area comes forward?
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
It sounds like you have the idea. In sitting meditation, the curves of the lumbar and thoracic spine are minimized in favor of a straight spine. As you’re becoming more and more familiar with the alignments and such, always do your best not to lose the forest for the trees. Understand the reason for specific alignments and feel the effects they are having on your body, don’t just assume the position arbitrarily.
In this case, the straightening of the spine relieves the compression on the discs between the vertebrae creating an openness through the spinal column. This openness smooths the nerve flow through the spine and out to the rest of the body. This smooth nerve flow increases the clarity of the sensations that come up during sitting meditation so you can practice more accurately rather than chase your tail. A lot of the “experiences” that people have while doing meditation and chi practices are just the result of a deviated posture causing a weird flow through their nerves and energy which leads to “static”. Smooth, open energy is comfortable and effortless, but many mistake their colorful, mis-alignment induced experiences as progress.
On a personal note, here are a few things that helped my spine position while sitting. One thing was to stop treating the spine in an isolated fashion. In other words, not just forcing my spine into a position, but also learning how to release tension in other places that were causing my spine to deviate. A big one was beginning to release the belly deeper and lower. When the belly is open and full, it provides a lot of support to your posture. A lot of the issues that occur with the spine have their origins in the anterior (front) area of the spine, and deeply releasing the belly can really help.
Another thing is allowing the hip joints to really open. The sensation is one of the legs “falling” out of the pelvis. This starts to create a lot more space down low around the sacrum. Then of course, opening the occiput. But in a similar fashion to the way the belly interacts with the spine, don’t just jerk your occiput open by only drawing the chin in, also release the throat on the front side of the spine all the way down beneath the collar bones and find space to move into as you lift through the crown. If the occiput and the crown are lifted (really more a feeling for me of being “drawn” up), and the hips are stable with the legs falling out of the sockets, and the belly is full and open with the chest dropping into it…the spine kinda takes care of itself.
Happy practicing!
Thank you! Helpful stuff, Paul.
Hi Patrick,
Point one, objective is to keep the separation of the vertebrae intact and not have them compress and collapse.
Your question “actual vertebre in the lower curve and sacrum be straight/perpindicular
For seated meditation, Straight/perpendicular is best for a beginner.
Next part and/or forward is also done in Taoism, but answering this question involves many factors. This requires a master observing a student as to when how and why or why not to do so. As such I decline on a forum but commonly answer this question in my live teachings.
Next point is it is ideal is to get the skin to stick to the back of the chair, to activate the body’s fascia and through it the muscles to make more easy continuously maintaining the vertebral separation.
Stay good,
Bruce
Thank you very much Master Frantzis. I am assuming when you say “master”, this includes a qualified teacher? I suppose the main point to be keeping the spine open and over time the tissues will adapt accordingly. I can see that much is to be gained from having an in-person instructor, thanks again for your time.
Patrick
This is an archived forum (read only). Go to our active forum where you can post and discuss in real time.